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Tulsa
WAC Championships
Christianson, Walsh Take Home Gold in Multi-Events Finale
5/13/2005 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
May 13, 2005
Tulsa, Okla. - The 2005 Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship continued Thursday from the Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium in Tulsa, Okla. Fresno State's Katie Christianson won the first gold of the Championship, earning 5,215 points in the women's heptathlon. Rice's Ryan Walsh brought home gold in the men's decathlon, earning 6,777 points. In the team competitions, the Fresno State women are in the early lead with 13 points. On the men's side, Fresno State and Rice are tied with 18 points.
Fresno State senior, Katie Christianson brought home the first gold of the meet, winning the women's heptathlon. Christianson won three events in earning her 5,215 points. She started off the competition, taking the 100 meter crown, earning a time of 14.15 for 957 points. She followed that performance, setting a new personal record, clearing 1.68m in the high jump. The jump earned her 830 points. Christianson finished the first day grabbing her third title, posting a time of 24.89 (897 pts.) in the 200m. Amber Metoyer of Louisiana Tech, won the only other day-one event winner, earning a distance of 13.95m in the shot put. She tallied 791 points for the throw.
On day two, Louisiana Tech's Chantel Richardson talled 798 points with a distance of 5.83m in the long jump. SMU's Franzisca Lakomy made her push for second, winning the final two events. She had a distance of 40.59m in the javelin, earning her 679 points. Lakomy and Christianson pushed to the very end of the 800m, the final event, with Lakomy coming out on top with a time of 2:22.40. Her time gave her 791 points and 5,112 points, good for second.
Taking third was Louisiana Tech's Amber Metoyer, registering 4,777 points. The awards for the heptathlon will be handed out at the beginning of competition on Friday.
For the team competition, Fresno State takes 13 points and the early lead into the rest of the Championship. Louisianan Tech is looking to back up its WAC Indoor Title, earning 10 points in the heptathlon and second place. SMU stands in third with eight points, while Hawaii (5 pts.) and Boise State (2 pts.) round out the field.
For the men, Rice's Ryan Walsh brought home gold, winning three events in earning 6,777 points. Walsh won the shot put with a throw of 13.35m, good for 689 points. He also won the discus with a throw of 37.90m, earning him 622 points. His final win came late in the competition, earning 612 poins on a javelin throw of 51.58m. Fellow Owl, Tyler Whitham took second in the competition, winning three events and earning a total of 6,639 points. Whitham won the 100m in a time of 10.91 (881 pts.), the 400m in 49.03 (860) and the 110m-hurdles in 14.94 (857). Taking third was Fresno State's Roy Phelps who also won three events. Phelps won the long jump, high jump and pole vault. Fellow Bulldog, Humberto Hernandez was the only other athlete to win an event, taking home the competition's final event, the 1,500m.
In the team competition, Fresno State and Rice are tied with 18 points. The two schools were the only teams competing in the decathlon.
The competition continues Friday with the prelims and finals, continuing Saturday with all finals.
